Project information

Big Bolton Fund

Bolton CVS are building a grant fund for Bolton that can support voluntary and community activity in the town for the long term. All the money we receive is invested and the income we produce each year is used to support community projects which improve the lives of Bolton residents.

Charity information: Bolton Community and Voluntary Services

Need

Bolton is an area that is traditionally below the national average in many aspects of life. These including average earnings and numbers of people in employment, attainment of educational qualifications and life expectancy. Conversely it is often above the national average in terms of crime figures and rates of contracting life threatening illness like many cancers.
Research also shows that charitable resources to help people are often less concentrated in less affluent areas like Bolton.

Solution

We are trying to build our fund as a charitable resource that will make a long term difference to people in Bolton. The fund makes grant payments to local charities and voluntary groups to start or continue community projects in our town. The projects we support help children to get the right start in life, older people to be active and healthy and those in between to be involved in their local community. Access to the right activities will allow Boltonians to live healthy and fulfilled lives.

Impact

Through local community projects, we will increase the vibrancy of community life in Bolton and in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Projects will support people to improve their quality of life in terms of achieving employment, supporting health and wellbeing, making their area more friendly and liveable and encourage people to get to know each other better. . This will be demonstrated in the variety of groups receiving grants and the number of people benefitting from their activities.

Risk

As many of groups we work with are small and led by local people, there are risks that some will not be able to deliver on their intentions or in rare cases not be honest about their intended purposes. We are able to work with organisations to help them have the skills to manage their organisations and achieve their aims. We also regularly monitor new projects to ensure they are making progress and using money as intended, ensuring out resources are used to their best potential.

Reporting

Donors will receive twice annual reports about all the projects we have funded and case studies based ont he outcomes of soem projects. There will also be opportunities to meet projects and see their work first hand.

Budget - Project Cost: £15,000

Location

Bolton is a multicultural town with a strong tradition of people working together and supporting each other. It is a town that has suffered from lack of investment, particularly following the decline of the manufacturing industries but is home to many hardworking charities and community groups.

We are based in The Bolton Hub, an office facility in the town centre that is managed by and for the local community sector. It’s doors have been open since 2007.

Beneficiaries

People all over Bolton will benefit from community projects funded by the BIG Bolton Fund. Last year we awarded at least 4 grants to benefit each of the 20 local council wards of the town.

However we are keen to maximise impact for those most in need. Last year 75% of our grants awards went to organisations benefitting those in the poorest areas of Bolton or those with disabilities.